Child and Adolescent Health course information

Page content: 1. Course structure | 2. Course aims and learning objectives

Course structure

The Child and Adolescent Health course is undertaken as part of the Women’s and Children’s Health subject (510-610) in either Semester 10 or 11 of the Melbourne University medical course. The nine week course includes one week orientation, two weeks of paediatric emergency and surgery (at Royal Children’s Hospital (RCH), Melbourne) and six weeks of general and specialty paediatrics (at RCH, Geelong Hospital, Northern Hospital, Sunshine Hospital, Ballarat or Shepparton). All students see children in the community setting via Maternal and Child Health Care Centre and school placements.

The course reflects current practice and research in Australian health care, however many of our academic teaching staff have international child health roles and links and thus enable exposure to child health in a global context. In addition, there is an active reciprocal student exchange program for Women’s and Children’s Health to Oslo, Norway.

Course aims and learning objectives

The Child and Adolescent Health course provides students with opportunities to develop knowledge, personal qualities, attitudes and skills that build on their existing medical knowledge and skill base to form a sound approach to child and adolescent health. The level of knowledge and skill reached should enable the student to provide medical care in the role of Intern (PGY1) in an Australian hospital and, under the supervision of a Consultant Paediatrician, as a Resident Medical Officer PGY2 and 3. The four domains of learning which form the structure of the medical course also frame the course work and assessment in the course:

1. The Scientific Basis of Medicine
2. Population Health
3. Clinical Skills
4. Professional Attitudes and Development

Knowledge

At the end of this course students should:

• have acquired knowledge of normal physical, intellectual and emotional growth and development from birth to late adolescence and be able to apply this knowledge to clinical practice
• have acquired knowledge of the factors that contribute to normal and impaired growth and development and be able to apply this knowledge to clinical practice
• be able to recognise the signs and symptoms of common and serious illness in infants, children and adolescents
• be able to explain appropriate initial treatment and referral where serious illness has been identified
• be able to explain a rational approach to investigations and be able to interpret commonly encountered test results
• appreciate that many of the important diseases of adult life have their genesis in childhood and adolescence
• know about some of the important health problems of children and adolescents in Australia and overseas
• recognise the importance of prevention, especially immunisation and apply this in clinical practice

In designing the course, topics of particular relevance and importance to paediatric health care delivery by future interns or second year graduates have been foregrounded. These inform the content of all teaching. All topics and learning objectives covered in scheduled tutorials, lectures and symposia are examinable. Neonatal topics covered in Women’s Health are examinable in both Women’s Health and Child and Adolescent Health.

Personal qualities and attitudes

At the end of this course students should:

• be able to demonstrate an appreciation of the importance of family and cultural traditions in the development of children and adolescents
• be able to demonstrate an appreciation that all children and adolescents have fundamental human rights and that by reason of their physical and mental immaturity, need special safeguards and care
• be able to demonstrate an appreciation of the importance of the medical practitioner’s role in childhood and adolescent medical care and recognize that this encompasses advocacy, health promotion and disease prevention at individual and societal levels
• approach consultations with infants, children and adolescents and their families with sensitivity and confidence

Skills

At the end of this course, students should be able to:

• communicate effectively with individual children/adolescents and their families by responding appropriately to their needs and the circumstances
• take an appropriately thorough history from the child, adolescent and/or family
• appropriately examine infants, children and adolescents and elicit relevant physical signs
• carry out appropriate diagnostic and therapeutic procedures in children and adolescents

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